Tale of Two Programs: Michigan vs. Ohio State

Color Michigan fans' perspective a particularly rosy shade today as they wake up to find themselves attached to a program with not only a viable quarterback, but also an unexpected win over a hated rival on national television. Doubt-clouds, be gone, via MGoBlog:

While Terrelle Pryor labors in an offense that has him throw 25 times and run nine against USC, previously run-manic Rich Rodriguez has taken his collection of half-man-half-velcro tight ends and pounding fullbacks and moosebeast tailbacks and forged them into a machine that, for two games at least, is the explosive equivalent of his White-Slaton heyday. He has integrated this crazy wheeling Jackson Pollock of a quarterback to the tune of 70% completions, five touchdowns, and one interception in his first two games in college. In the process he's made the men who looked at twenty years of wildly successful offenses, wildly successful programs at every level of college football and saw nothing but an inflexible, lucky hick look like fools.

Mr. Cook does make the careful qualifications that yes, this is game two, and yes, this is all a bit rash, but all-in-all Michigan's transformation from year one to year two is positive, dramatic, and apparently systemic. Daps all around, even for Notre Dame, who Maize and Blue believes is fielding their best team in a long, long time.

On the other side, consider the gloomy ruminations going on in Columbus:

There’s no clear cut replacement that would be on his level and his accomplishments at OSU can’t be ignored, but I think even the most staunch Tressel supporter should be closer to realizing that just because there may not be such a replacement available doesn’t mean Tressel’s not in the second tier when you list the best game strategists in the business. Funny how he seems to be more like Cooper every year – great recruiter, mediocre in-game coach.

If John Cooper's coming up in your estimation of Tressel's performances, then you're perhaps pondering Cooper's eventual fate for Tressel, as well. His linchpin win for years has been the Michigan game. If he loses that this year, it is not water-cooler hallucination to say he may be in real trouble in Columbus. (For a dissenting opinion, however, We'll Always Have Tempe considered the loss a noble one. Compared to last year's performance against USC, it certainly was.)